My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

The shopkeeper saw that the other party had an imposing aura. Although the people behind him were sitting down, they all had straight backs and sharp eyes, clearly well-trained and no pushovers.

He inwardly groaned, knowing that this was someone he couldn't afford to offend, perhaps a guard of some nobleman traveling incognito.

He dared not ask any more questions, and quickly put away the silver, bowing and scraping:
"Enough! Enough! Absolutely enough! Gentlemen, please make yourselves at home and give us any orders you may have!"

After saying that, he quickly retreated behind the counter, not daring to look any longer, hoping that these scoundrels would not cause trouble on his own turf.

At this moment, Zhang Shize led Zhu Cilang up to the second floor.

The second floor has a circular corridor structure with more than a dozen private rooms of varying sizes.

Zhang Shize, familiar with the place, led everyone to a private room at the end of the corridor, a room with a prime location and a light blue bamboo curtain hanging at the entrance.

A maid, who had already received instructions, was waiting at the door and gently lifted the bamboo curtain.

The group entered the private room.

The room was small, but it was decorated very elegantly.

Thick Persian carpets covered the floor, and several ink paintings of landscapes with a profound artistic conception hung on the walls. A large rosewood couch was placed by the window, with a low table and brocade cushions on it.

The most ingenious part is that the side of this private room facing the hall is not a solid wall, but is covered by a roll-up bamboo blind and a very thin layer of plain gauze printed with elegant plum blossoms.

At this moment, the bamboo curtain was half-rolled up and the white gauze hung low, through which one could vaguely see the entire view of the downstairs hall, especially the central area that resembled a small stage, and the figure of a woman in white burning incense and playing the zither on the stage.

However, from the outside, one can only see blurry figures in the private room, ensuring privacy.

It is indeed a great place to enjoy the scenery and listen to music without having to be exposed to others.

Zhu Cilang sat down in the main seat of the rosewood couch, surveyed the surroundings, nodded, and said to Zhang Shize:

"This place offers a wide view yet remains quiet. It seems you have a good eye for choosing locations."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shize blushed again and could only smile awkwardly before sitting down at the lower end of the table.

Luo Yangxing, Li Hu, and Ma Bao stood on either side of Zhu Cilang, not daring to sit down.

Before long, two pretty maids dressed in light green dresses entered silently, carrying trays in their hands.

The tray was laden with fresh seasonal fruits, four kinds of exquisite tea snacks, and a set of fine blue and white porcelain tea set. The tea was top-quality pre-rain Longjing tea, with a refreshing aroma.

The maids arranged the items neatly on the low table, bowed, and then withdrew.

At the same time, Ma Bao immediately took out a flat, palm-sized sharkskin pouch from his pocket and pulled out a row of silver needles of varying lengths and thicknesses.

He first used silver needles to probe the teapot and teacup one by one, and then inserted them into each kind of fruit and snack in turn, his movements skillful and swift.

After the silver needles were removed, they were all bright silver in color and showed no abnormalities.

However, Luo Yangxing was not reassured by this.

He walked to the door of the private room and whispered an order to a disguised imperial guard standing outside.

Soon, the Imperial Guard brought in two other disguised agents.

After bowing to Zhu Cilang, the three walked expressionlessly to the low table.

One of them picked up the teapot, poured three cups of tea, drank one cup himself, and waited quietly for a moment.

The other person took a small piece of each fruit and snack, put it in their mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it.

The third person stood aside, cautiously observing the reactions of the first two.

This is the most primitive and reliable method of "human testing for poison".

Even if a silver needle cannot detect certain rare poisons, it can be immediately detected if a person has a reaction after taking the poison.

The two Imperial Guards who were testing the poison stood quietly for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, their complexions were normal, their breathing was steady, and they showed no discomfort.

Luo Yangxing breathed a slight sigh of relief and waved to the three men.

The three bowed again, quietly withdrew, and gently lowered the bamboo curtain.

After doing all this, Luo Yangxing turned around and bowed to Zhu Cilang, saying:
"Young master, it's ready to use."

The entire process was tedious and exuded a somber atmosphere, which was completely out of place with the elegant ambiance of "Shuyuxuan".

Zhu Cilang saw all of this, but felt no impatience.

He was well aware of the sensitivity of his position. If he made even the slightest mistake in this chaotic place, not only Luo Yangxing and Zhang Shize, but also everyone in "Shuyuxuan" and even many officials in Nanjing would face annihilation.

Their caution, though somewhat spoiling, is simply part of their duty and understandable.

Downstairs, the scholars and literati were either listening intently to the zither, conversing in hushed tones, or wielding their brushes, seemingly completely immersed in their refined world, oblivious to everything that had just happened in the elegant room upstairs, and to the "special" guests scattered throughout the hall.

The night on the Qinhuai River is just beginning.

Zhu Cilang leaned back on the brocade cushion of the rosewood couch, toying with the warm blue-and-white porcelain teacup in his hand. His gaze, through the half-rolled bamboo curtain and thin gauze, absentmindedly swept over the scholars in the hall downstairs who were talking loudly and considering themselves elegant.

He came here to experience the local customs and culture of Qinhuai firsthand and satisfy his curiosity, but when he arrived at this so-called "refined" place and saw the monotonous affectations and pretentious manners, he felt rather disheartened.

Ultimately, this is nothing more than another carefully packaged arena of fame and fortune, and a haven of comfort.

Luo Yangxing stood by, noticing that the Crown Prince seemed uninterested in the music and dance downstairs, and his mind raced.

His purpose in coming to welcome the Crown Prince was not only to protect him, but also to report on the important recent developments in Nanjing.

With the Crown Prince now in a comfortable position, it is indeed a suitable time.

He then cleared his throat, took a half step forward, lowered his voice, and began to report respectfully:
"Your Highness, I have some trivial matters concerning the current situation in Nanjing. I wonder if it is permissible to report them at this time, and I would appreciate Your Highness's decision."

Zhu Cilang withdrew his gaze, looked at Luo Yangxing, and nodded:

"Go ahead and tell me, I'd love to hear it."

Luo Yangxing organized his thoughts and began to narrate in a clear and organized manner:
"Since His Majesty arrived in Nanjing, most matters in the capital have proceeded in an orderly manner without major disruptions. The matters Your Highness had previously considered have also progressed smoothly."

"Firstly, the implementation of monetary laws."

Luo Yangxing first mentioned the economic lifeline that Zhu Cilang was most concerned about.

“Because Nanjing and the prefectures of Southern Zhili were far from the capital, the newly minted silver coins, gold coins and paper money of the Ming Dynasty faced great resistance in their promotion. In particular, the people used old silver or even private money for large transactions.”

"After His Majesty arrived in Nanjing, the Ministry of Revenue, Yingtian Prefecture, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard worked together to strictly order that all transactions and taxes in the market must be based on the new currency and paper money. They cracked down on acts such as refusing to accept, private minting, and raising the price of silver. In the past month, the results have been remarkable."

"Nowadays, the main streets, shops, banks, and restaurants in Nanjing have widely accepted and used the new currency and paper money. Although the people were not used to it at first, the new currency is of high quality and has a beautiful design. The paper money is backed by the imperial court and is easy to exchange. It has gradually become the norm and its circulation in the market is much smoother than before. Counterfeit silver and inferior money are also rare."

"This is a crucial plan to stabilize the foundation of the nation, and it is truly gratifying that it has been implemented in Jiangnan." Zhu Cilang listened, a look of satisfaction on his face.

A unified currency and a robust financial credit system are the cornerstones for strengthening national finances and promoting commercial circulation.

The fact that the project was able to proceed smoothly in the relatively conservative and deeply entrenched Jiangnan region, while benefiting from the "imperial prestige" of Emperor Chongzhen's southern tour, also demonstrates the effectiveness of the previous preparations and strategies.

This is indeed good news.

Luo Yangxing continued.

"Secondly, regarding the Nanjing garrison, about half a month ago, His Majesty received more than two hundred officers of the Nanjing Jingying, Xiaolingwei, and various guards and garrisons of Yingtianfu at the imperial palace training ground."

"His Majesty personally gave them a speech, encouraging them to be loyal to the emperor and love the country, to train diligently, and to guard the capital well. Afterwards, His Majesty personally awarded these officers the spring bonus for this year, and each of them was given an extra three months' salary."

"The officers were all moved to tears, and their shouts of 'Long live the Emperor!' resounded throughout the army, and the incident had a tremendous impact."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang simply smiled faintly, showing no surprise.

This method of "the emperor personally distributing salaries and bestowing favors upon junior officers" was something he had suggested and practiced many times when he was in the capital, and it had been extremely effective.

It can greatly weaken the control of senior generals over the lower ranks, and directly instill imperial favor and loyalty into the hearts of middle and lower-ranking officers, making it an effective means of consolidating imperial power and controlling the army.

The Nanjing garrison system was relatively closed, with many officers holding hereditary positions and having distant ties with the imperial court. This method of winning them over and intimidating them was timely.

It seems that Emperor Chongzhen was well aware of this principle and implemented it well.

"besides."

Luo Yangxing paused, seemingly considering whether he should say what he was about to say.

"The situation in Nanjing is generally calm, both in official circles and among the people. Donations for road construction are still being collected and are substantial. Surveys and measurements have begun for various projects, and there are no particularly noteworthy changes."

His tone was calm, and the content of his report was mostly positive and uplifting.

However, Zhu Cilang keenly noticed that after Luo Yangxing finished speaking, a very subtle hesitation flashed across his expression, and his lips trembled slightly, as if he still had something to say.

"how?"

Zhu Cilang put down his teacup and looked calmly at Luo Yangxing.

"You seem to have more to say? Please speak freely, there are no outsiders here."

Luo Yangxing stiffened slightly, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. He quickly regained his composure, but the difficulty in his eyes was undeniable.

He hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said in a lower voice:

"Your Highness is very perceptive. There is indeed a matter, but it concerns His Majesty and is somewhat inappropriate. I am unsure whether I should speak of it."

"Is it related to Father Emperor?"

Zhu Cilang raised an eyebrow slightly, a few questions flashing through his mind, but his expression remained calm.

"Since this concerns the Emperor, how can you, as his subject, conceal the truth from me? Speak."

Seeing that the Crown Prince's attitude was clear, Luo Yangxing had no choice but to bite the bullet and lower his voice to a level that could barely be heard by the two of them:
"Your Highness, it is like this. Just a few days ago, several nobles in Nanjing, led by the Duke of Wei and the Earl of Chengyi, whether out of gratitude for Your Majesty's arduous southern tour or for other purposes, jointly presented Your Majesty with a group of women to fill the harem and serve Your Majesty."

After speaking, Luo Yangxing cautiously raised his head and stole a glance to observe the Crown Prince's reaction.

After all, the matter of a subject presenting a beautiful woman to the emperor can be considered a big deal or a small deal.

To put it kindly, it's "filial piety"; to put it bluntly, it's "offering beauty to bewitch the emperor."

However, to Luo Yangxing's surprise, Zhu Cilang was not displeased after hearing this. Instead, he showed a rather amused smile, even with a hint of "as expected," as if he had heard some predictable anecdote.

He thought it was something big, but it turned out to be just a "traditional program".

Throughout history, it was commonplace for local officials and wealthy gentry to present beautiful women to the emperor in an attempt to curry favor and gain his favor.

Since ascending the throne, Emperor Chongzhen had worked diligently to govern the country. In addition, due to the difficulties in the country in his early years, he was not particularly fond of women, and his harem was relatively simple.

Now that the emperor has arrived in the south, it is perfectly normal for the nobles of Jiangnan to bring out "special products" to curry favor with him.

To be honest, Zhu Cilang didn't care much about this, and even secretly hoped it would happen.

Emperor Chongzhen, with limited abilities and a suspicious and indecisive personality, led the Ming Dynasty into an abyss along the original historical trajectory.

Now that I have traveled through time and turned the tide, I have effectively stripped Chongzhen of most of his real power. Perhaps it would be better for him to be a "peaceful emperor" and a "royal symbol" in peace.

If he could focus more on enjoying the pleasures of the harem and less on interfering with his own affairs, or be distracted by those beauties, it might actually be a good thing for him to keep his reforms under his belt and his grand plans for the future. After all, a pleasure-loving "mascot" emperor is much easier to control than a restless emperor who is always trying to prove himself but lacks the ability to do so.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang's smile deepened, and he asked with a hint of teasing:
"Oh? How much did you offer? And how beautiful were you?"

Seeing that the Crown Prince was not only not angry, but seemed quite interested, Luo Yangxing felt somewhat relieved and quickly replied:
"Your Highness, there are ten in total, all beauties from Jiangnan. They are said to have been carefully selected, skilled in singing and dancing, literate, and of superior appearance."

He dared not elaborate further, stopping short of going too far.

"Ten?"

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly.

"Not too outrageous, how many did Father Emperor accept?"

Luo Yangxing's embarrassment deepened, and he nodded, his voice even lower:
"His Majesty initially seemed reluctant, but after repeated requests from several nobles, who said that this was a filial act from the people of Jiangnan, all ten of them stayed at the temporary palace."

"All ten stayed?"

This time, Zhu Cilang was genuinely surprised, a hint of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

He originally thought that, given Chongzhen's somewhat "Confucian" temperament and relatively restrained nature, he would at most symbolically leave one or two behind to show "imperial favor" and "not going against the will of the subject," while the rest would either be rewarded or dismissed.

Surprisingly, they accepted them all without exception!
This seemed to be subtly different from the Chongzhen Emperor he remembered.

However, this slight surprise was quickly replaced by a sense of understanding. After a moment's thought, Zhu Cilang understood the key to it.

Yes, people always change, and the environment can change people even more.

In the past, Emperor Chongzhen was beset by internal and external troubles and was overwhelmed with worries, so he naturally had neither the mind nor the confidence to enjoy life.

But what about now? The bandits have been quelled, the Jurchens have suffered a setback, the national treasury is full, the prosperity of Jiangnan is right before our eyes, and the specific affairs of the court are mostly handled properly by himself, the crown prince.

He, the emperor, suddenly transformed from a fearful and precarious ruler of a fallen kingdom into a "peaceful emperor" who could sit back and enjoy wealth and luxury.

With the immense pressure suddenly gone and the long-strained nerves relaxed, coupled with the allure of the gentle and wealthy Jiangnan region and the deliberate flattery of his subordinates, it's not surprising that his mindset changed and he began to pursue some previously suppressed pleasures.
Ten beautiful women—perhaps this is just a small signal that he's starting to "let loose." (End of Chapter)